All it took
by HHReader
Summary: When Harry's plan to get Hermione falls apart before his eyes, he destroys Voldemort before disappearing from the magical world- for good?
1. Chapter 1

All it took

The beginning

A/N: this is my first fic, so R/R

Harry Potter was having a bad day. It started when death eater attacks happened simultaneously across the country, causing mass panic nation wide. Although Hogwarts was left unscathed, the last pockets of ministry resistance not directly affiliated with the order were crushed mercilessly, and hundreds were dead in Diagon Alley, Harry's current location. The golden trio had arrived on the scene just before the death toll nation wide went into the thousands. So many people had died, and many more deaths were expected. To everybody's surprise a whole truckload of death eaters had arrived just as the situation was starting to clear up. In what was obviously a planned move, they attempted to bombard the Order members until more help could arrive. Thankfully, a few well placed spells from Arthur Weasley had the surviving death eaters tripping over their own feet to fall back into an empty building. The Order now had them locked in the two tier potion store. They had reached a stalemate however; the ample supply of potions kept the Aurors from storming the building, while an assortment of spells kept the enemy locked up inside. Harry was currently sniping any death eaters stupid enough to show their heads with his dual wands, something he had a natural talent for. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione fire a quick jinx at the death eaters surrounding Ron. Harry watched on in amusement when the men were transformed into squealing babies. Harry knew without asking that she had made the spell herself, something she excelled at (as always). He refocused his attention back to the situation with the potion store, only to see Neville being thrown back for the umpteenth time.

Opening up his mental connection to Hermione, something Ron was intensely jealous of, he messaged _I'm going in. _Focusing his magic through both wands at once, he muttered _knightus magio_. Hermione, the genius she was, had come up with the spell herself. It was designed specifically for Harry, the first dual wand user in recorded history (A/N I might be wrong about this). It encased the user in a set of magical armor fashioned from the users own magic. It weighed nothing, and in fact enhanced his speed and reflexes. His wands took on the form of whatever weapons or shields he wished, excluding more modern items like guns and whatnot. This was all they had discovered in weeks of training. Although Hermione preferred to use one wand, for some reason Harry and Hermione could use each others wands perfectly. They had yet to test it out in battle however. Harry's weapons this time were a matching set of double edged swords, his preferred method of combat. He wasted no time in charging the store, smashing death eaters in his wake. The order members stopped and stood staring, watching in awe as Harry broke through the Death Eaters barricades single handedly. Even Ron and Hermione were stunned at the sheer amount of destruction caused. All Ron was thinking about was how much this was going to cost to replace, and how glad he was that Harry, the rich prick, was paying for it. When the whirlwind that was formally known as Harry stopped, Hermione handed him a hastily conjured drink of water. He then proceeded to jump out of his skin when a huge cheer went up from the Order members.

"Great" thought Harry "now all I need to do is find Hermione again and ask her out." Harry had been practicing the speech he wrote for weeks and for the last couple of days had been doing it in front of Ron, the only person who knew of the plan. He turned and spotted Hermione- and his heart stopped. Ron was snogging Hermione right in front of him! The same Ron who had promised not to tell a soul of his plan! As the shock wore off, the familiar feeling of anger stole over him. How dare he! He put on a straight face and looked away, only to see a grinning Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, who was winking seductively at him. As realization stole over him, he knew what he must do. Fueled by his rage, he apparated straight through the wards of Riddle Manor.

He knocked on the front door, and waited for someone to open it. He promptly stunned Antonin Dolohov, and strode inside. A quick diffindo took care of Bellatrix Lestrange along with the entire Malfoy family. As he hunted his way through the manor, he wondered why Ron had betrayed him. Quickly dispatching a pack of werewolves, he blew open the door to Lord Voldemort's throne room. Summoning his armor, he barely had time to notice it had turned black before his rage overtook him. Rage against the man that stood in front of him for killing his parents. Rage at the Dursleys for treating him like a slave, and Dumbledore for placing him with them in the first place. And most of all rage at a certain Ronald Billius Weasley for betraying his trust and his friendship. Harry hunched over, before straightening up and releasing an explosion of magic. The last thing he remembered before the world went black was seeing Voldemort's head thump to the floor in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

All It Took

Chapter 2: Darkness

A/N: Thanks to all my readers. I see over 300 people have been on the page, but only 3 reviews for it. Please review! To Anthony37: I like the idea of Harry getting angry at his parents, but I will definitely get Hermione and Harry together. Please tell me what you think of the next chapter!

Harry opened his eyes to see darkness. Nothing, a world of blackness that completely enveloped his senses and confused his sense of direction. Turning around, he saw a door in the blackness which light was pouring through. Taking hesitant steps towards the door and felt a tug at his navel that felt remarkably familiar. Before he had time to ponder this however, he fell face first into the ground. Checking his pockets for his wand, he noticed it on the ground in a nearby hole in a wall. He took a good look at his surroundings, and gasped. He recognized this place! It had been in a picture in one of Hermione's books, one called _Camelot: Fiction or fact? _It was made of marble that gleamed in the sunlight. It had 3 turrets and a huge hall in the center, with two wings off to the side. Turning back to the wall, he crouched down and reached to grab the wand, only to realize his hand was too big. Cursing, he mentally wished he was smaller. Then, to his utmost surprise he felt himself shrinking, growing smaller and feeling scales harden over his skin. Twitching round in his new form, he took in the long, black body behind him. He had managed to transform into a snake! Darting forward, he curled himself around the wand and dragged it out. Once his wand was in his possession, he willed himself to transform back into a man again. As he stood there, pondering this new development, he decide to see what else he could do. Focusing on the nearest tower, he wished that he could fly there. This time, he felt feathers forming, and his shape shrinking once again, though not as much as last time. He spread his wings wide and kicked off, testing out his muscles as he soared higher. As he looked down on the castle, he took a quick glance at the surrounding countryside, not that surprised to see Hogwarts nearby. Knowing the genius of the four founders, they probably just extended the wards to cover it, believing their magic in no way could equal merlin's. Swooping down to the tower, he flew In through a window and perched on a table. Quickly surveying the room and adjoining staircase for threats, he transformed back into a man and looked at the room itself. On the desk was a small box and a book. Picking both up, he gave them a brief check for curses before slipping them into the back pocket of his jeans. Casting a Homenum Revelio, he detected no life forms anywhere in the tower, much less the castle. Not one rat or spider dared take up home inside the walls. He transformed into a snake again, making sure he kept his wand and everything in his pockets. Slithering down the stairs, he noticed how the castle was still spotlessly clean, even after centuries of neglect. Not one speck of dust had fallen on a windowsill, there was no mold and no spider webs hung in the corners. Even the marks from his muddy sneakers vanished off the floor as he lifted his foot up. It must be some serious cleaning charm. A small part of his mind mulled over the fact that if no living things could reside inside the walls, then surely he should have been forcibly ejected the moment he set foot inside the castle? As he was wondering he started in the realization he know stood in the hall he had seen from outside.

He stood, transfixed, watching the ceiling. Like the Hogwarts one, this was also enchanted but under a different spell. The tales of heroes, new and old, were painted on the roof. The pictures constantly changed, showing an image of Hercules one moment, and one of King Arthur the next. Harry even caught glimpses of his own escapades; slaying the basilisk in his second year, the Hungarian Horntail in his fourth and Voldemort most recently. He absent-mindedly thought Hermione would have loved to see this, then stiffened. In all the action of testing his newfound animagus abilities and exploring the tower, he had completely forgotten the reason he had fled to fight Voldemort in the first place. He figured the two were either snogging each other's brains out or planning a wedding. It was probably the former, giving Ron's inability to concentrate on anything for more than ten seconds. As much as he should have hated Ron at the moment, he had already forgiven him in heart. He was his best friend after all. Caught up in memories of the time they had spent together, he was forced back into reality by the owl that flew through the window carrying the daily prophet. Slipping a few Knuts into the pouch tied to the owl's leg, he unfurled the paper and gazed In amusement at what he saw.

The headline read "Morning of revelations." Intrigued, he carried on.

_Morning of revelations_

_Rita Skeeter_

_The wizarding world has never been more shocked! The first piece of news is the one people have been hoping for with baited breath for the last few years. You-know-who, scourge of the wizarding world for many a year is dead, corresponding directly with our other bolt from the blue, Harry Potters disappearance. The man known to have killed Voldemort, proved by a team of highly skilled wand forensics, disappeared from Diagon Alley yesterday, shortly after achieving victory over the group of death eaters assaulting the shops. Apparating records show he went from there straight to Riddle manor, and never walked out. A personal appeal from best friend Hermione Granger ask for whoever has him to please present a ransom. Our last bit of news is the most surprising is to do with Ron Weasley and Hermione granger. A long predicted couple, Ron was arrested yesterday for possession and use of amorentia, a love potion on the "love of his life", Hermione Granger. When asked why, he simply said " Harry gets everything; the fame, the money. I simply tried to stop him getting the girl." More on his trial is included on page four._

Harry smiled like a cat that got the cream, then frowned. The wizarding world thought him kidnapped or dead. Maybe it was better that way. Going to sit down, something in his pocket got wedged against his leg. He pulled out the box and the book he picked up on the top of the tower. Opening the box, he pulled out a black wand with red runes carved into the side. He was shocked when a jet of black sparks shot out the end. The book fell open with a clunk, allowing Harry to read the contents. They read "To become a perfect wizard knight, just follow the instructions below." Harry smiled a sinister smile; this could keep him occupied.

A\N: Substantially longer than the first chapter. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry guys! I've had a project from school bogging me down, so haven't been able to update in a while. About halfway through the next chapter, and will try to devote some more time to it.

HHReader


	4. Chapter 4

All it took

Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the wait. If Harry doesn't confront Hermione in the next chapter, he probably will in the one after.

As the sun finally crept over the horizon, Harry was already up and training. It had been a month since the article had been written, and the wizarding world had given up all hope of finding the elusive Harry Potter. The aforementioned man had given himself a strict training regime, and was improving well. The magic coursing through his veins was growing stronger daily, and helped his physical structure improve greatly. Harry had discovered that he could transform into four forms. Oddly enough, these were the four Hogwarts founder's animal representatives; the lion, the serpent, the badger and the raven.

They fit into the work of a hero perfectly. The lion was a natural at combat, while the serpent was stealthy, yet had entirely deadly venom. The raven was perfect for speedy escapes and getting to high up places, while it's badger counterpart could tunnel through nearly any substance. Harry new he could stay in an animagus form for a week at a time, the most he could give for this subject.

By far the hardest part of the training was the physical. While the magic helped develop his muscles, he still felt like hell after an hour of weightlifting. He also spent a lot of time swimming laps and diving in the pond. After finding a test for magical potential level in one of Merlin's old books, he had performed a ritual at midnight. It was an extremely odd feeling, almost as if having a hand inside your body, grasping at your magic. What he had discovered shocked him.

He had the highest potential ever recorded, besting both Dumbledore and Merlin. While thinking of this gave him a smile, he at the same time had a surge of anger. The ritual had discovered a spell put on him at barely a year old, which basically gave him less power than average. It was also tied to Dumbledore's wand signature.

The more Harry pondered this, the more he realized the old man's motives. Limiting his magic made him more reliant on Dumbledore, giving him an unprecedented amount of control over the boy. It also helped add to the list of things Harry hated all the professors and members of the order for.

They all were things Dumbledore knew were going to happen, and had probably engineered to do so. The foremost was his parents. The entire order knew Pettigrew was their secret keeper. Then was the Dursleys. Dumbledore had placed him there, and he knew for a fact McGonagall had observed his mistreating. His entire life could have turned out differently if someone had stepped in. Then were his events at Hogwarts. Dumbledore knew about the Chamber, and could have told him about the triwizard. He also had a hand in Sirius's death. HE had kept the poor man cooped up in that house, had given him occlumency with Snape, knowing full well the man would hamper what little natural abilities he had. Just recounting the list made him furious.

What gave the old fool the right to do this? He probably would have called upon the 'greater good' yet again. Honestly, Harry had been abused since he could walk, only found out his name when a teacher told him and had been no better than a slave for nearly 18 years of his life. The only person who had really understood had been Hermione. Ron and Ginny just thought he expected a royal life, and was getting snooty. What did he need to convince them he hated the fame?

All of his wizarding career he had shunned the multitude of reporters that seemed to follow him like a plague. Every little detail of his life had been scrutinized, ignoring the child abuse (of course). The only thing they had got even remotely right happened during his fourth year. While he didn't have an affair with Hermione, he did hold feelings that a best friend shouldn't have. It had all bitten the dust when Ron confessed his feelings for her, however. This was a man Harry thought of as a brother, his second best friend in the world, his first friend. Only Hermione surpassed his importance to the boy who lived.

After the article Harry had decided he would have to pay a visit to both Ron and Hermione, though not before pulling on some old friends. Harry had used the wizarding version of the Internet, the wizarding web of communications, or WWC. After accessing the ministries files on a top-secret server (which had next to no security) he took a reusable portkey, one of Merlin's inventions, to get to the Apparating room. These objects, which could also be set to include a radius of up to fifty feet, were color coded for different rooms, such as the dining hall or the potions tower.

After arriving in the room and setting it to include invited visitors in, he took a breath and snapped his fingers. He now stood in a world that seemingly mirrored his own, but looked as if he was on drugs. As he saw it, it was now frozen. Nothing moved save him. No birds were tweeting; no wind was blowing; time itself stood still. The colors were different too. Gone were the vibrant colors, replaced by black and white, a look that was decidedly creepy. In this seemingly parallel universe, Harry was a ghost. He could walk straight through walls, and could transport himself wherever he wanted, simply by willing it.

He had discovered it by accident one day while meditating, a practice many training books recommended. Here was yet another piece of evidence of his power; Merlin could only view this world for a few seconds, having no presence there, and only after about a month of meditation and fasting. Dumbledore had caught only glimpses of it, and most wizards new of this only as a myth, a supreme legend. Indeed, it was considered a hell by many of the greatest wizarding minds of the century. Hermione and Professor McGonagall had had many a debate on the subject.

Harry silently willed himself to a location known only by three members of the British populace, other than him. After checking that there was no one round the corner, he willed himself back into existence and pulled out a modified Invisibility cloak. He then turned and placed his wand, along with a note, on a stone he had summoned. Of course, in the off chance he had been spotted and came under attack, he could perform wandless magic. He then took a couple of steps into the shadows.

The first person to come around the corner was a disillusioned Mad-Eye-Moody. (A\N: is it put like that? I need to read the books again.) He read the note, cast a revealing charm onto his wand, and turned to sweep the shadows with his magical eye. After seeing Harry give a quick wave he nodded satisfied. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The first part had gone without a hitch. Now for the hardest part.

The newly christened couple walked round the corner, both with wands out. A broad grin split Harry's features as Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. Seeing Moody they gave another glance around before hurrying over to Mad Eye. They conversed quickly in a quiet fashion, interrupted only by the occasional glance into the shadows. After a couple of minutes they stood back, satisfied. Harry stepped forward with a smile on his face, and whipped of the cloak.

Lupin immediately sprinted forward to give Harry a hug, trusting Mad Eye's checks. When he was finished Tonks took one stride forward and slapped Harry in the face, causing him to stagger. As he righted himself Mrs. Lupin burst into a tirade. "What on earth were you thinking, vanishing like that? Lupin and Hermione have been beside themselves in agony! Did you think you could just up and disappear with no consequences? I've got a right mind to…" She got cut of by Lupin saying "now dear, shouldn't we let him explain himself first? He has only been back a few minutes." Tonks gave a discouraged face, but quieted down fortunately.

After Harry had finished his story the Lupins were standing there shell-shocked while Mad Eye had what could be only described as a grimace on his face. With a slightly darker tone Harry said " I called you here today to find a way into Azkaban to beat the hell out of a certain weasely…"


End file.
